8.8. Exploring the city – Cathedral Island

Sunday evening sounded a good time to go and see the neighborhood. I have one Wroclaw guidebook, Lonely Planet and Wroclaw In Your Pocket (great and free guide btw), and I have been skimming and reading them through several times in addition to several websites – now some real action needed. Closest place to start is actually right next to me: Ostrow Tumski, Cathedral Island in English.


This place is first settled in Wroclaw, in the 8th century (listen to the wings of history!). First bishopric was founded in 1000, and the Cathedral Island was the centre of Wroclaw before 1240. Then the Tatars "razed the place” and city started to develop on the other side of the river Oder (Odra). However, the Island is still a religious center for Wroclaw. Without expansion of shops, cafes and bars it really feels like a sanctuary: beautiful and peaceful as it was kilometers from city.

Tumski Bridge – The Green Bridge.

Married couples bring padlocks and attach them to bridge to demonstrate their never-ending love.

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Original gas lamps on Cathedral street.

Entrance of the Church of Holy Cross. Rare church as having two levels, and two parishes.

Monument of Pope John XXIII – erected nearby St Martin’s Church, exceptionally during communist regime. Church itself backs to the 14th century.

Cathedral Street and St. John’s Cathedral. The most outstanding historical monument on the island. The striking heights of the towers stand for the rank of the cathedral. Oldest parts of the building are constructed 1244-1272.

There was a mass going on when I visited the Cathedral, so I only shortly peaked from the main door. Stunning glass paintings and the beauty of the interior will definitely be worth for another visit.

(The facta parts are from sources mentioned above, the book being “A guidebook to Wroclaw by Rafal Eysymontt and Leszek Ziatkowski).